


Options and Frustrations

by Masterliful



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: (technically) - Freeform, Black Paladin Keith (Voltron), Gen, Red Paladin Lance (Voltron)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-20
Updated: 2017-07-20
Packaged: 2018-12-04 15:27:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11558070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Masterliful/pseuds/Masterliful
Summary: With Keith in the black lion, the pickiest lion is now without a paladin. It doesn't help that their options are limited. Very. Limited.





	Options and Frustrations

Coran murmurs half understandable things to the red particle barrier of Keith's former lion while Allura, Pidge, Hunk, and Lance stand a little back and watch. Keith raises his voice to reach the others from the corner the team has banned him to. “Coran, give it up.”

"No," Coran says, "I am confident that it'll open up to me in just a few doboshes!" The fact that the red lion has been unresponsive the entire time doesn’t deter him.

“Coran,” Allura says, “maybe it is time to try something different.”

“Ah, well, yes, of course, hang on, I have just the thing…”

“I meant that we should try with someone else.” She sounds apologetic.

Coran turns to face her. “But Princess!”

Pidge interrupts him. "Keith has more experience with the red lion than any of us. If he says it isn’t working, I’m trusting his authority.” She shrugs. “Besides, it’s not like anything you’ve done so far has worked.”

Coran gasps. His head turns to face Hunk. Hunk rubs his head. "Well… I mean, there hasn't been any sign of the red lion wanting you to pilot it so… Yeah, we should probably try again with someone else."

“B-But I wanted to pilot the red lion!” Coran says. He looks towards Lance. 

“Sorry, bud.” Lance shrugs. “Maybe next time.”

Keith glares at him. "There is no next time." There’s no sign anyone has heard him.

Allura sighs, then steels herself. “I suppose I should try now.” Nobody says anything. They have already discussed how it would work with Allura outside the castle. Coran can pilot the castle by himself, and it can make one wormhole jump without Allura. She would be inside the castle when a jump would be made in nearly all situations anyway. Allura being a paladin shouldn't be a problem.

To anyone than Coran, that is. According to Allura, Coran is a worryguts and should not be listened to.

Still, nobody particularly like this idea. While Lance took the fact that Allura's quintessence matches best with the blue lion as an opportunity to flirt, everyone else was far more aware of the problems that caused. While her bond with the lions makes her capable of flying any of them, it won't be pleasant. Most likely, the connection would be weaker as well.

Allura doesn’t like it. The red lion most definitely doesn’t like it. Keith winces in sympathy. The black lion might be his lion now, but the red one has always been the one Keith felt the most kinship with. And if there's one thing Keith hates, it's being forced to follow someone that hasn't proven their worth.

“If you ask me,” Lance says, “I think the red lion here’s acting like a spoiled brat.”

Allura stops mid step. Everyone stares at Lance. The unexpectedness of his words makes them ring all the clearer.

Lance flings out his arms. “Seriously. It needs a new paladin, and now only the princess is good enough for it?"

Keith pushes away from the wall. “Hey-“

Lance ignores him. "Even Keith had to do more than the rest of us for it to accept him! I mean, I wouldn't let Keith pilot me just like that either, but still!"

“The red lion is the most temperamental-“ Allura says before Lance interrupts her.

“So it’s the most childish lion, got it.”

In surprisingly short time, the red lion stands up and roars while its particle barrier goes down. Keith's attention is elsewhere. His eyes stay on Lance.  
Lance smirks and talks directly to the red lion. “What? You know it’s true. The Galra would be laughing their asses off if they knew that the great red lion of Voltron is nothing but a spoiled brat. Seriously, what gives you the right to be pickier about your pilot than any of the other lions?!”

Keith furrows his brow. There’s a familiar frustration bubbling in his gut. Normally, it would have him yelling faster than the red lion can fly, but its usual source and outlet is on the other side of the room. The situation is unfamiliar. Keith can't find his footing enough to react.

“Wait, I got it.” Lance’s voice goes from aggressive to taunting. “It’s because you’re the weakest, aren’t you? You don’t have anything special. You’re a teeny tiny bit faster than the others. So what?”

The realization that Lance is taunting the red lion the same way he taunts Keith is more surprising than it should be. The jeers are hardly recognizable when you've never experienced them directed toward someone else. There's a morbid fascination mixed with the brewing anger when not directly faced with it. The frustration weakens from knowing the source of it. 

The red lion turns its head towards Lance as if to glare at him.

"You just want someone great to pilot you, so nobody will notice you're a one-trick lion. Isn't that right? I dare you to prove me wrong, I dare you!"

It's obvious that Lance is baiting the red lion. It's obvious, but letting Lance have the last word has never been acceptable.

The red lion lowers its head and opens its mouth for Lance to step in. He grins in victory.

As he steps towards the lion, Keith vaguely remembers him implying that Keith wanted the blue lion. Remembers Lance wanting to keep his lion. Keith glares at Lance as he steps into the red lion.

Hypocrite.


End file.
